Critique of Pure Reason

There are some books that need to be slowly read and absorbed.  This very long and philosophical read is one of them.  I still am in awe that an NYU student noted that this book as his favorite (and when I told another NYU student I was reading it, they shared how it was one of their favorite books), hmm… really?  Nonetheless, I did read it and no I won’t say it would be on my list, but boy did my brain hurt while I was engaged reading and re-reading the same paragraph over a number of days.  If you choose to read Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant, be prepared to examine your own ethical decision making, think through what is logical thinking, and when you think… you are.  I am what?  You got it!  What is reason?  A man is intelligent, I am a man, I am an intelligent man.  Really?  I guess.  Well maybe not. Learn the law of contradiction, what is rationalism, what is cause and effect without relying on empirical wisdom, had enough yet?  No, good, how about focusing on the Transcendental Doctrine of Elements and Transcendental Aesthetic or Logic? Transcendental analytic and its concepts.  You think that is easy, then we move on to Metaphysical Deduction and its principles.  I’m sure you are hungry for more so let’s look at Schematism and the system of Principles of Pure Understanding and Axioms of Intuition and Perception.  Clearly you are hungry for more so Kant goes into our analogies of experience and the Refutation of Idealism.  He hits his real stride when discussing Transcendental Doctrine of Method.  This is a philosophy book and should only be read by those who get excited understanding the “why” and “why not” of life.  For me, give me a great story about a character, a challenge overcome, or a lesson learned.  I tried giving up understanding life and began living it a long time ago.  Please take no offense that philosophical underpinnings of life just aren’t for me at this juncture in my life.  I congratulate and have great esteem for students and faculty who get excited by these BIG questions.  For me, it’s back to reading something I can relax and enjoy.  This was not for me.